New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-24
COST OF THE PACIFIC ROADS.
MANY IMPORTANT FACTS BROUGHT our.

occupies place in the Nations history. enlivened the
otherwise prosac and at times wearsomc proceedings OF
the Pacific Railroad Commission yesterday The pleas
anry furnished for the most part by exJudge John
| j. Thurston OF Omaha, Of the Union Pacific Rail
roads chief counsel for Nebraska and who came near
succeeding Mr. Van WICK as United States Senator from
that State. Ho is broadbrowed judicial looking and
judicial acting gentleman, whom one would suspect
OF harborng such q thing mirth in his mental re-
Yet without any apparent effort he contved in
the OF his testimony TO give everybody present
good deal OF enjoyment taking Mr.. Huntrngons place
in this respect and also in being the chief witness OF the
day
The Investigation was confined mostly to the Union
Pacfcs affairs its construction andeary history. TWAS
begun with General Granville NJ Dodge formerly chief
engineer Of the road the stand He began his testi
mony Friday 1t about the cost Of constructing
the Union Pacific He supplemented what he said by an
elaborate sta ement showing what the various sections
from Omaha to the California State line cost explaining
10 detailed way why certain sections had called forth
such heavy outiays For example. the line over the
Wahsach Mountains was constructed during the winter,
the on level with the tops OF the tee-
/ graph poles and tho men, digging down through the
the solid ground Obliged to blast the earth
to prepare grading Picks and crowbafs were useless
SO great the difficulties encountered that the con-
tractors would not attempt the work. leaving 1t for the
company themselves TO do
81 have seem" said the General tracks laid by men
standing up IT, their shoulders in water. They were
fellows but II killed many OF them nave seen
stretches OF track laid that winter ground icy and
frozen us solid adamant, and watched the track the
locomotive and all else slide IN the snowdriitS
beyond recovery"
These he went on were some OF the things that made
the road costly build The entire expense OF the 1882
miles OF road he estimated at about S300U0 900, about
onethrd to Onehalf more than 1t would have cost had
the company taken the full time till 1875 that was
allowed IN which TO complete the work Bat the COY
ernment and the public he said. were pressing us to
push work, aud did to the utmost of our ability
in the face of every difficulty Ho mentioned the warm
interest that President Lincoln had manifested in the
early 1857 and how during the War the Pres
ident had urged that the roads should be constructed
with all possible dispatch, and at the same time ass1r-
ing the General that assistance necessary would
be furnished by the Government The Government.
however the witness added had not by any means done
its duty TO the road.
MR. ANDERSON EXPLAINS A "CALL'
Commissioner Anderson read from report OF the rail
road that in 1871 one c. II. Bushnell had been PAID
100000, out Of which General Dodge had received
81 1000 for assisting in procuring the passage OF the
Act of 1871 General Dodge said that this on the
form OF call Union Pacific stock lie received it
from Mr.. Bushnell personally. not from the company
1t given to me-, he aId-i for personal services
/ been Washington almost every time measure
relating the road pending, and never yet spent
the dollar influence legislation should dare
to do So"
At this point Commissioner ILtcrinerruptel the pro
ceedings TO learn what u" call on stock meant lie
enl 5htencd the subject by Mr. Anderson. AMI
appeared grateful to his learned brother Commissioners
After further testimony about the roads branches
and the necessity OF them for its the witness
told the plans which be submitted to President Grant
for a settlement of the roads Indebtedness. and how
they rejected through powerful influence that was
brought to the Cabinet ANA secret1ry Brisow
by New York parties. who short on the cOmpanys
stock at the time Before leaving the stand the General
pot, hiatt NE
lished in that the witness had tried 10 avoid Civ
ing testimony. moi made the authority OF the
Comm sSiOncrS.
Judge Thurston occupied the greater part OF the day
in xpainng his work behalf OF the Union Pacific IN
Nebraska and particularly with the Legislature of that
State. Tie proved to capital witness lie was cool !
deliberate and particular as to details that when he
finished discussing point neither eSGovernop Pattson
trelcss Mr.. AnIrrson hal much TO ask beyond
the stereoypel question as To whether anything had
been paid TO influence legislation IN favor Of the
plny Some OF the matters discussed were trivial In
character question, aDoat the dsburse neat OF S5 so
and 800. t5at had the witness not nicric"ici little
quiet occasionally the proceedings woali have been
unbeatable.
In describing the anti monopoly that al time
affected the Nebraska Legislature. he said:
Almost every member mad 1t and hal It quite ser
Ouhy Their efforts werD direciei ia inc man "s"hS
the Union Pacific There aero not enough a'ennr1 81
attack the road to round. aud Ia consequence
almost every bill against us was dnPlc'tri hrariy
every member Of both hOn-s was heard on hcsc bills ~
ton required the expenditure OF time aud money IN
Legitimate way. This lei Chairman PatiIson 10 inquire
about what was done at Lincoln by the Union ltchc
people. TIC witness went into details. telling how eacn
member of the Legislature had 10 nc seen and takel
with and how committees hal to be idresscl what
money spent for hotel bills carriage hi.c and ever
thing else He gave a graphic dcscrp ion how rival
roads we're Kept out giving lively account of the fight
between the Elkhorn Railroad people ana the Union
Pacific in Platte and Madison Counties.
MR. PATTISONS IDEA OF WESTERN INTEGRITY.
Commissioner Pattison who seemed 10 have low idea
Of Western integrity asked questions about buying
votes in Nebraska.
Not one penny. sir. did ever sp'ni for such pur
pose" rejoned the Judge, with strong emphasis
DO you mean TO say that you have never purchased
votes allowed them 10 he bought for your company
said Mr.. Pattson later
have not and in my judgment not dollar was ever
spent for such purpose"
The CHARM al returned to This matter often th1t at
last Commissioners LITTER brisied and iayIng n his
cigar proceeded to defend MS neignhors most vgor-
ousy. The witness hardly needed his assistance Tho
men, the Judge said that tho company ha to deal with
were mostly Union soldiers wac could no more DO
you yourself born in the East. broke In Mr..
Il Know It, but that WAS not my tsult. anl rye lived
In the West long en"2gh 70 know "a appreclatc tie
head"
GENERAL FREMONT TELLS A BUFFALO STORY.
When the Commissioners returned from luncheon they
found Drghteyei. gisyh dred military Idns scute-
man quietly awaiting them. His face n:i ia niar
and he at recognized "a General John e. Ere
mont famous Pathan Ter an PreSd initial can ljle
who crossed this continent irly half century ago,
years before the Pacific railroads seriously thought
of by practical He cordially greeted by Com
missioner Pattson. exJudge Dillon and the others.
Before resnming Mr. Lltter asked hin many ques
tons his early experience in the far West with
buiIloes. How large herd had hs ever secn
The General smiled aud modcstly replied that he saw
herd that required three days 10 pass his COMPANY
- You take the witness n.y. SAID Mr.. Littler.
" My buffalo stories nowhere any longer"
General Fremont had called from his New Jersey
home to testify reference to some OF tho statements
by General before the sion at Omaha
II was about memoranda that is claimed appeared
a document that came into General Fremonts posses
sion when he bought the LeayenwOrth. Pawneo and
Western Railroad from General Stone and Others, In
regard the bribery OF certain COngressmeD The Gen
cra said that all the papers In the destroyed
IN the Merrill warehouse fire lie did not think That the
alleged copies shown him correct Ia regard to
certain names he certain That whatever APP
peared the documents in question OF the stat
ments oil efe 40 IA had briDei by